About Us

PURPOSE

The purpose of today's union differs little from the original intent of the students, faculty, staff and alumni who worked so passionately for a union building in the early part of the twentieth century. The following statement of purpose, was drafted and formally adopted as part of the 75th anniversary of Purdue Memorial Union in 1999.

…to enrich the quality of life on campus and to build community amongst the diverse members of the University family - students, faculty, staff, alumni and guests - by inviting them to participate in formal programs and informal opportunities to gather, study, work, develop and have fun.

…to support the public service aspect of Purdue's Land Grant mission by providing conference facilities and services that bring the University into helpful contact with the outside world.

…to use its facilities and resources to offer the services, conveniences and amenities needed by the campus community, while achieving the financial viability necessary to support both daily operations and long-term maintenance of facilities.

The Union stands as a permanent memorial to the Purdue men and women who served in defense of their country, protecting the very freedoms that we enjoy today. It is our duty and privilege to maintain the union as a point of identification with the University and its traditions, as a community landmark, and as a symbol of the unity of spirit that transcends our individual differences."

ARCHITECTURE

PMU Indoor Architecture

Guiding the Purdue Memorial Union project from start to finish was the Chicago architectural firm of Irving and Allen Pond. The Pond brothers already had long and distinguished careers before receiving their call from West Lafayette early in 1921. The large number of private houses, hotels, churches and other public buildings in Chicago and throughout the Midwest that originated from the Ponds' drawing board testified to the great appeal of their designs.

By the late 1920's there were about 35 student unions across the nation. Most Big Ten schools had a union at this time. The University of Michigan boasted a Pond and Pond design for its union as did Michigan State University and the University of Kansas. Completion of the Purdue Memorial Union would make Irving and Allen Pond the most prominent figures in this new architectural field.

The Michigan Union in particular caught the attention of the Purdue Memorial Union building committee as they searched for the right architect. The Ponds were near the end of their five-year project in Ann Arbor at about the time the Purdue people were beginning to formulate and express their conception of the ideal student union.

At the Union's dedication ceremonies, Pond stated that he believed that the completed structure was an expression of "poise and physical and spiritual strength and firmness shot through and modified by spiritual aspiration." Its purpose was twofold. First, the broad, simple and harmonious masses of the building would proclaim to the world the freedom and unity of life found within. Second, the many architectural details and ornaments inside and out would minister to the unified life by symbolizing the harmonious interplay of structural forces and hence an ordered society. For Irving Pond, the Union was ultimately a symbol of social solidarity, of life itself.

Architectural Details

The stained glass windows represent the mixing of students of all races and creeds within its walls.

The interior stone arches represent the ruggedness, sincerity and individualism of the students.

The upswept arches of the windows symbolize the youth and spirit of the Union.

The gold and black cross on the floor of the Great Hall honors the 67 Purdue men who gave their lives for their country during World War I. It has since been extended to honor all Purdue faithful who lost their lives in service to the United States of America.

HISTORY

The Beginning

In the early days of the twentieth century, the Purdue community began to see the need for a place where all University life could center and a place to receive alumni and campus visitors. Students had been meeting in a room above Southworth's Bookstore in the Village. Similar institutions had already built union buildings, or were at least in the process of building them.

George O. Hayes, a member of the Class of 1912, first proposed the idea of a union at Purdue. The student council endorsed the idea, and the Class of 1912 established and contributed to a union fund drive in lieu of a class gift. In previous years, each senior donated $5 toward the completion of the new Memorial Gymnasium. When the Memorial Gymnasium was completed, it was decided that senior donations would go towards a union building. A constitution was prepared and approved at a mass meeting of students and faculty on April 17, 1912. A Financial Campaign Committee consisting of students, faculty, alumni, the University President and a trustee was formed. The fund continued to grow until the onset of World War I.

At the close of the war, Purdue looked at the record of her sons and daughters in the service, and in many minds there arose the thought that the union should stand as a permanent memorial to those 4,013 who had served and those 67 who had died for their country. With this idea, the name "Purdue Memorial Union" came into being.

In 1920, a subscription plan was launched. On Armistice Day of that same year, the first anniversary of the end of World War I, student leaders called a mass meeting in Fowler Hall to ask for student pledges. It is rumored that in order to ensure participation by all, they locked the doors and would not let anyone leave until a pledge had been assigned. All such fund raising drives were completely separate from University program and were sponsored solely by students, interested faculty members and friends of the University. Those who contributed $100 or more are life members of the Purdue Memorial Union, and the names of those who fulfilled their pledge prior to 1947 are permanently inscribed in bronze in a display on the main floor of the building.

A constitution was drafted on September 22, 1921, and Jack Walters as Student President was appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors. Pond and Pond architects from Chicago were chosen to design the building during the winter of 1921-22. A.E. Kemmer from Lafayette would serve as the general contractor.

Ground breaking took place on June 13, 1922 with Virginia C. Meredith chairing the event. David E. Ross, as chairman of the building committee, turned over the first spade of earth, and general contractor A.E. Kemmer plowed the first furrow. The cornerstone was laid at Homecoming, November 25, 1922. In August of 1923, a crowd watched cranes put 25-ton sections of milled limestone in place to form arches over the main entrance of the building. Construction continued through the latter part of 1923 when funds were exhausted. The following year the Purdue Union Association formed as a separate financing corporation and secured a loan of $200,000. In order to support payment of the loan, each student paid a fee of $4 per semester.

The partially completed building opened on September 9, 1924. At that time, the University consisted of 323 faculty and staff and 3,234 students. The sizable sum of $400,000 was still needed for completion. With the necessity of borrowing money, there arose the large question of a reliable plan for procuring and repaying the sum. In 1929, it was deemed necessary and appropriate that the building be deeded to the trustees of the University. Through their financial resources, bonds were issued to acquire the money needed for completion. The student fee, started in 1924, was continued to offer necessary financial security.

The Union Building

When the building opened in 1924, it was still only partially completed. The main floor had temporary pine floors, and the walls and ceilings had not yet been plastered. The second floor was not sufficiently finished in order to be available for use. Construction continued as funds became available, and the original building was completed in 1929.

The ground floor of the original building housed the cafeteria, located on the southwest corner where the Union Commons seating area is now. It contained two sets of serving counters designed to serve 1,000 people per meal. At the east end of the cafeteria, in what is now the TV dining room, was a soda fountain, the predecessor of the current Sweet Shop. The Sweet Shop was created as a separate facility in 1927. There was a billiard room located where the Sweet Shop is now and a barbershop in what is now Evans Eye Care. A beauty shop for women was added in 1929.

At the center of the main floor was the Great Hall, originally designed as an informal gathering place for the main body of students. It also was the official memorial area for Purdue men who had served and given their lives for their country. The space that is now the Main Lounges was intended to accommodate overflow from the Great Hall. The Men's Lounge, now room 118, was designed for reading, writing and quiet conversation. Three reception rooms, one men's, one women's and one general were located where the Card Office and Rooms 132 and 136 are now. The South Ballroom was originally called the Assembly Room and was designed for special dinners or large groups. Office Space for the building manager and steward was located where Room 103 is now, with stairs leading to an accounting office immediately below on the ground floor.

When the second floor was completed in 1929, it contained an Alumni Faculty Lounge that is now the East Faculty Lounge and the women's Lounge that is now the Business office. The Women's Lounge included a kitchenette where off-campus females could prepare their own lunches. Student activity rooms provided offices and meeting space for the many student activities that had no place of their own and had been using the few rooms in the library.

Reports written in the fall of 1924 by Jack Walters, first general manager of the Union, indicated the Union building could accommodate 28 different activities at the same time without interfering with each other. In its first year, the Union cafeteria, soda fountain and catering operations had gross income of about $54,000, and despite a 50% food cost, reported a net profit of 3.5%.

Additions to the building were begun soon after its opening. The first wing of the Union Club Hotel, consisting of 60 guest rooms, was added in 1929. The East Wing, which included the Browsing Library, Bowling Lanes, and the Anniversary Drawing Room, was built in 1936. The South Ballroom was enlarged that same year.